The former Arsenal star, along with Eden Hazard, has come under the most scrutiny, having been unable to reproduce his controlling midfield performances from the first half of last season. But Hiddink was keen to state that it is not just Fabregas who has struggled.

“I think we are now focusing too much on Cesc,” Hiddink told the Independent.

“The whole team weren’t doing well until December. It’s not just one player. When you look at the goals conceded, it’s not just our defence that is not good enough. It’s not just the defensive players.

“It’s the whole team’s performance, defensively and offensively. I don’t want to focus on just one player who might need a bit more strength to get back into shape.”